EPA’s proposal for additional methane regulations on oil and gas wells and transmission are duplicative and costly. They could also undermine the progress our industry has made lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The fact is that America is already leading the world in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Even as oil and natural gas production has risen dramatically, methane emissions have fallen, thanks to industry leadership and investment in new technologies. New regulations are more than unnecessary; they are potentially harmful to our overall goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

EPA’s latest greenhouse gas inventory reported that methane emissions from hydraulically fractured natural gas wells are down 79 percent since 2005. Total methane emissions from natural gas systems are down 11 percent since 2005, a direct result of industry innovation. And this is all while natural gas production has soared to record highs.

Safe and responsible development of energy from shale has helped the U.S. cut CO2 emissions to near 20-year lows. Additional regulations on methane by EPA and other agencies could discourage hydraulic fracturing and the shale energy revolution that has helped America lead the world in reducing emissions.